LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Diane Warren was in the recording studio with Sofia Carson to work on her when she got an unexpected phone call earlier this year. It was David Rubin, the former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and he had some good news: She was getting an Oscar.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥檔o I鈥檓 not. I鈥檓 the one who loses all the time,鈥� Warren said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. 鈥淚 was in total disbelief.鈥�
The prolific songwriter had been nominated for best original song at the Oscars 13 times. And 13 times she鈥檇 gone home empty handed, most recently at the ceremony earlier this year. Warren, 66, was never distressed or deterred by that statistic, though. She loved being in the game. But she had started to wonder if she was supposed to ever get one.
Warren will be collecting her honorary statuette Saturday at the annual Governors Awards, , Peter Weir and Michael J. Fox, who is getting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. She's the first songwriter to ever get the award.
鈥淭his is the big Oscar,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I still want to win one. But the nomination is the win. This isn鈥檛 the Grammys with, you know, 50 song categories. There鈥檚 five songs in one category. To hear your name when they say those nominations? That鈥檚 like winning the lottery every time.鈥�
The first time she was nominated, for the which she co-wrote with Albert Hammond for the film 鈥淢annequin,鈥� Warren did not hear her name called. She didn鈥檛 even know nominations were happening. There were no campaigning events or screenings. It just seemed to come out of nowhere.
鈥淭hat was in the old days,鈥� she laughed. 鈥淣ow I stay up all night. I鈥檓 too uncool to go to sleep and not give a s鈥�-. I鈥檓 just very uncool. And I stay up all night, and I鈥檓 happy to be uncool.鈥�
Warren developed a passion for the power of songs in movies early on. She remembered 鈥渃rying her eyes out鈥� hearing John Barry and Don Black鈥檚 song for 鈥淏orn Free鈥� and being moved by Mark London鈥檚 song for 鈥淭o Sir with Love."
鈥淭hey viscerally moved me,鈥� she said. 鈥淢usic doesn鈥檛 go to your brain. It goes to your heart. And you combine that with the right movie? It鈥檚 powerful.鈥�
It was, in other words, a natural fit on top of her . Some of her more famous Oscar nominated songs include and And she鈥檚 gotten a nomination almost every year since 2015.
And, while she loves every Oscars ceremony, she counts of her survivors anthem 鈥淭il It Happens to You,鈥� from 鈥淭he Hunting Ground,鈥� as one of her favorite performances ever.
鈥淚t was monumental to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he was hitting notes and I have no idea how she hit them, but it was so emotional. Then when you got those survivors standing up when people weren鈥檛 really talking about this at that time? I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 been a better performance of to me on the Oscars or almost anywhere.鈥�
She also loved playing the piano at the 2020 Oscars as Laura Pausini sang 鈥淚o s矛 (Seen)鈥� from 鈥淭he Life Ahead.鈥�
鈥淚t was amazing,鈥� Warren said. 鈥淚鈥檇 never done anything like that before.鈥�
Mostly, Warren just loves the Oscars and getting to be part of that world. And she found it rather poignant that she got the call about the award as she was working on 鈥淎pplause,鈥� which is included in the movie is made up of seven short films directed by and about women.
The lyrics, she thought, seemed appropriate for the moment: 鈥淕ive yourself some applause. You deserve it. Give yourself some respect because you鈥檝e earned it. Give yourself some love because you鈥檙e worth it. You鈥檙e worth it. You know, let them know.鈥�
鈥淗ow crazy is that?,鈥� Warren said. 鈥淚鈥檓 in the room doing that song and I go in the other room because the phone rings and it鈥檚 that? After all these years of trying to get an Oscar it鈥檚 like, wow, what a moment, right?鈥�
Now she鈥檚 just trying to get her thoughts together for her speech and she鈥檚 pretty sure she鈥檚 going to start crying immediately when she takes the stage Saturday.
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 even really hit me yet,鈥� Warren said. 鈥淚 know it鈥檚 going to really hit me on that on that night. I don鈥檛 even know how I鈥檓 going to handle that.鈥�
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
